Redesigning an apartment to better suit a three foot tall woman was the “the most complex job” one tradesman ever worked on. 

Elizabeth McEvoy is just over half as tall as the average person and that means navigating the world around her is far from simple. 

Tasks that might be ordinary for you, are often fiendishly complicated for her. 

“Door handles would be the first obvious one, I suppose,” she explained on Moncrieff. 

“Steps in a lot of buildings and banks - banks can be a bit of a problem because the counters are so high and you don't really like shouting a financial business around for everybody to hear.

“ATMs, I would always have to go physically into the bank unless I'm with a friend who can get money out. 

“For me, about half the country knows my PIN number at this stage.”

Ms McEvoy added that she will often go earlier to check out the “lie of the land” of a new place and see whether appropriate adaptations can be made. 

“If I'm going to a building or somewhere I know that I'm familiar with, it's usually fine,” she said. 

“But sometimes, yes, a bit of forethought is required.” 

Ms McEvoy moved into her current home in late 2000 and rented it for a number of years. 

When her landlord got into difficulty during the crash, she realised she was “really happy” there, did not want to move and made him an offer. 

“The sale went through 2015,” she said. 

“So, it meant then that I could start planning’ I had an idea of what I wanted to do.

“But things then intervened, like pandemics and so on, to throw schedules and programs of work a little bit off kilter. 

“So, I really only started planning for it properly in late 2024 and then the work was carried out over three months in 2025.” 

Ultimately, Ms McEvoy enlisted the help of a specialist Occupational Therapist and received specialist advice on how to redesign the apartment. 

“The HSE has a list of companies or builders that will do work adjustment renovations and so on of that type,” she said. 

“But they can't be seen to endorse anybody; so, you have to go through the list and see who's going to be interested. 

“It became very clear very quickly because it was a short list and some were obviously not interested - but then there was the one company that was.”

One friend of Ms McEvoy said the workmen had “built [her] a new apartment from the inside out”.

Lights and door handles were moved down, while other tasks were more difficult to execute. 

“The sitting room in the bedroom could be used by absolutely anybody, irrespective of height,” she said. 

“But the kitchen and the bathroom were always going to be the trickiest. 

“The plumber, the tiler, said it was the most complex job he's ever worked on.”

Main image: Elizabeth McEvoy.